Guild Vote
by sandersonsister
Summary: Mira gets the brilliant idea to read fanfiction to guild members - and not just Fairy Tail. This is not going to end well. Main pairings decided: Loke/Gray, Natsu/Erza, and Laxus/Lucy.
1. Chapter 1

Okay guys, I know you've all read stories where the Fairy Tail characters read fanfiction. This one is going to be a little different – I hope. Anyway, I want my readers to be a part of it, so I am asking two things…

Pairings. I want some of the characters to fall for each other during this story, but I DO NOT want to do a Lucy/Natsu fic, or a Gray/Juvia fic. I would like you guys to review and leave me a message with what pairings you would like to see. The most popular for each character will win out.

The fanfiction the guild reads. I would like you guys, if interested, to send me a short fic, only a couple hundred words or less if you want, and I will place them in here. I will, of course, give the writers credit. If you are interested and want to send me something, just message me.

Gray had no idea how this happened. Mira had the 'great' idea to have a "fun get together with some of the other guilds! We can get to know each other better!" and suddenly, here they were, all sitting in the guild hall awkwardly and trying to figure out exactly what Mira had planned.

Gray had thought it might be a competition, something they would all be interested in… but somehow, he didn't think that was the case. Mira and Erza were all staring at them from the raised platform, no one in Fairy Tail or any other guild wanted to infuriate the two mages, so they were all sitting quietly and waiting for whatever it was.

Gray had somehow ended up with Juvia on one side of him and Natsu on the other. Beside Juvia was Lyon, who brought his minions with him. And, of course, since Shelly was at their table, so was Ren. And Ren brought Hibiki and Eve. And Chelia (who was sitting beside her cousin and staring at Lyon in adoration) was sitting with Wendy, who had brought Romeo.

Beside Natsu was Lucy, who had Levy across from her, who was flanked by her team. Gajeel was sitting at the next table, his eyes narrowed and focused on the three of them. He had somehow ended up beside Sting and Rogue, neither of which looked thrilled to be there.

Gray didn't even bother looking at the other guilds… though it seemed Mira had invited the six top guilds in Fiore. Not surprising.

"I have a surprise for all of you!" Mira finally said, drawing everyone's attention toward her. "How many of you know what this is?" She held up a magazine – and Gray watched as the blood drained from the faces of half of the people in the room.

Lucy even stood up, her eyes frantic, but Erza blocked the exit, her arms crossed over her chest and a glare on her face, daring someone to try and leave. A few looked as if they were considering it, looking between the magazine and Erza.

Apparently they decided the magazine was better than risking Titania.

"This is a fan magazine!" Mira continued on, a bright smile on her face, "people write stories about their favorite mages and send them in. The best ones get published! I thought we could read some of them together! And then, at the end, we can decide which one we all like the most and send in a message to the magazine to get printed!"

Gray felt himself blink in surprise. People wrote stories about them? "Why would someone do that?" Natsu muttered, scowling as he crossed his arms over his chest. Gray agreed with him. What was even the point?

"This won't end well," Hibiki said softly, a grimace on his face. The other Trimen nodded along with him. Apparently, they were very familiar with that magazine.

"Oh, Juvia has read some of those! But Juvia only reads the ones where she is paired with her beloved Gray!"

Gray leaned away from the rain woman, moving as close to the fire dragon as he could without actually touching him. "Pairing?" He asked.

"Most of these stories feature a pairing the author desires," Lyon explained, his eyes flickering from Juvia to Gray, "you can find many different pairings."

Gray felt his chest tighten at this information. Great. What, exactly, was Mira planning on reading? "What do you mean by pairing?" Natsu asked, confused.

Gray rolled his eyes, "Like romantic pairing, flame brain," he snapped.

Comprehension flashed across Natsu's face. "Oh. Ew."

Fighting back the insane urge to laugh, Gray turned his attention back to Mira as she began to speak once again. He knew he shouldn't have come to this thing. The only reason he had was because Erza had actually shown up at his house and pulled him to the guild by his ear.

He winced at the thought and lifted his hand to rub his aching ear. He was pretty sure it would never be the same. Damn woman.

"Issues, Gray?" Lyon asked, amusement flickering in his eyes. Gray glared back. It had bruised his ego to be pulled into the guild and see Lyon standing there smirking at him.

"Think someone can distract Erza so we can get out of here?" Natsu muttered, watching the red head with a frown on his face.

"Not a chance. Unless you want to be the one to distract her."

Lucy was still standing, "We can't just be stuck in here! There has to be a way to get out…"

Gray looked at her curiously, "What's wrong with you? This is the type of thing you like."

Lucy didn't answer, moaning instead about how no one had the right to keep them here. Gray's eyes narrowed thoughtfully as he stared at her. "Lucy, did you send something into that magazine?"

Lucy stopped instantly, her face turning bright red as she slowly sank back down beside Natsu and hid behind her hands. Gray shook his head. Of course she did. She was a writer, after all. "Oh, and who did you write about?" Hibiki asked, a smirk on his face as he stared at the celestial mage.

Lucy let out a deep groan, the tips of her ears turning red. "No one. Nothing. I…don't know what you're talking about."

Juvia was shaking beside Gray, "Love rival better not have written about Juvia's Gray."

"Who would write about the ice bastard?" Natsu muttered.

Gray retaliated instantly, hitting Natsu over the head and preparing himself for what was coming. No way Natsu would let that go. "What are you two doing?" Erza snapped from behind them.

Natsu froze with his fist inches away from Gray's face. "Just getting ready to listen!" He said with a false smile, wrapping his arm around Gray's shoulders and sitting on the bench. Gray's smile was just as false as he placed his own arm around the boy.

"We aren't doing anything!"

They both continued to smile as Erza stared down at them. "Do not interrupt Mira once the story has begun. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am!" The chorused.

Erza turned away and the arms fell instantly, Gray moving away from the human heater. He always felt slightly uncomfortable that close to Natsu. "Well, I see you two haven't changed much," a new voice cut in.

Gray turned with a smile, "Loke! What are you doing here?"

Loke strode over to them, a smirk on his face. Gone was the suit, though his hair was still longer than it had been when he was in Fairy Tail. "Mira wanted all members of Fairy Tail here," Loke explained, sliding into the space Gray had left between himself and Juvia. The water woman glared, protesting, but Loke ignored her. "I might be Leo the Lion, but as far as I know, I'm still part of Fairy Tail."

"Always," Gray said, smiling at his once partner and closest friend.

"Hey man," Natsu greeted from the other side of Gray, smiling.

Loke nodded back, then smiled at Lucy. "Hello, princess. I am here on my own power, no need to worry."

"I didn't," Lucy told him, though she smiled back prettily.

Gray tried to ignore the interaction. When Loke was in Fairy Tail, Gray had been the person closest to him. Now that Lucy had his key, the celestial spirit would always be closer to Lucy than he had ever been to Gray.

He was learning to deal with it. Slowly. But he was learning.

"So, do we know what Mira will be reading?" Loke questioned, obviously ignoring the boys from Blue Pegasus that were staring at him.

Right, Blue Pegasus. Karen. Loke had to be feeling uncomfortable.

"We can move," Gray said quietly enough no one else would hear him.

Loke subtly shook his head, though he flashed Gray a small smile at the words. "Mira hasn't told us yet," Hibiki answered, his eyes drilling into the spirit across from him. "It looks like she is trying to decide."

That was true. Mira had a stack of those magazines and was slowly flipping through each one until she reached the ones she had flagged. Apparently, the demon couldn't decide which one to subject them to first.

Gray was slightly frightened by the sight of all those magazines. She wasn't planning on going through them all today, was she?

Finally, she seemed to find one that she liked, going by the way she squealed loudly and turned her bright face to the crowd in front of her. "Alright, everyone ready to start?"


	2. Chapter 2

Lucy buried her face in her hands. She just prayed it wasn't one of her stories. At least two of them would know. Levy and Gray had read her manuscript enough to know her writing style. She couldn't believe this was happening. How could Mira have thought this was in any way a good idea? Some of those stories… some of them are…

This wasn't going to turn out well.

_Lucy sat at in the guildhall, her eyes boring into the man running around the guildhall. She didn't know how she could have missed it. How could she have not have noticed something this big? She was the one that was… in tune with her feelings. Unlike the rest of her team –_

"What is that supposed to mean?" Erza growled, eyes narrowed dangerously.

_-Lucy didn't hide her feelings or try to pretend they didn't exist._

_So how had it taken her years, years!, to realize she was in love with her best friend? _

"What?!" Half of the guildhall yelled out, turning to stare at Lucy and the pink haired dragon slayer in shock.

Lucy was shaking her head wildly while Natsu was pushing himself away from her. Lucy saw Gray try and push the dragon slayer away from him but only ended up pressed between Natsu and Loke. "No! No! I don't love Natsu! He's like… my brother!"

"Yeah, that would be gross!" Natsu chimed in.

Lucy turned to Natsu, her eyes narrowed. Alright, so she was glad Natsu didn't have feelings for her, but he didn't have to act like she was disgusting! "Excuse me?"

Natsu's eyes went wide, "Uh, I mean, you said it! You're like my sister! It would be gross!... not that you're gross, I just meant-"

Lucy vaguely noticed the people around them laughing as she hit the boy over the head, "I. Am. Not. GROSS!"

"But Lucy-"

"Stop before she kicks you, idiot," Gray muttered, raising his own hands to block Lucy as she kept missing Natsu. Loke was chuckling at his masters antics.

_So, what should she do?_ Mira continued, ignoring the group. _Should she tell him? What if he didn't see her that way? What if it ruined their friendship? She couldn't do that. And she had always suspected that there was something going on between Natsu and Erza-_

Gray choked on a laugh and Lucy had to bite her lip to stop herself from giggle at the look on Natsu and Erza's faces. Natsu had turned bright red, his eyes flickering around the guild but not meeting anyone else's, while Erza had blinked in surprise before looking at the dragon slayer curiously.

"That's an interesting theory," Loke muttered loud enough for the table to hear, making Gray laugh even louder and Natsu to glare at the celestial spirit.

"Miss Erza is sensei's girlfriend," Hibiki declared, Ren and Eve nodding beside him, "there is nothing happening between her and Natsu."

"What did you say?!" Erza demanded, making the Trimen shrink in on themselves instantly.

_-and if that was the case, she couldn't come between them. Erza was one of her closest friends. _

_"__Everything okay?" A voice questioned. _

_Lucy looked up, smiling slightly at the mage beside her. "Fine. Why wouldn't I be?" _

_Gray shook his head, his eyes flickering over to Natsu. "You could always tell him."_

_Lucy's face filled with heat. This could not be happening. "Wh-what are you talking about?" _

_"__The fact that you're in love with Natsu," Gray said, a smirk on his face as Lucy groaned loudly. _

_"__How did you know?" _

_"__Seriously? How could I not?" Gray questioned back._

"Always so sure of yourself," Lyon muttered.

Gray rolled his eyes. "This didn't actually happen!"

_"__But – he and Erza-"_

_"__Have been friends for a long time," Gray finished, reaching over to grab Lucy's milkshake and taking a drink. Lucy frowned. Great. What was it with everyone eating her food?!_

"Well, they got that part right." Lucy muttered.

_"__There isn't anything going on between them," Gray finished. _

_Lucy took a deep breath, nodding her head and making to stand before falling back into her seat as someone flew into the table and made her lose what balance she had. She let out a sound of surprise as she fell back, only staying in her chair due to the arm Gray wrapped around her._

Eyes turned to Gray. "Something you need to tell us, Gray?" Loke teased.

Lucy could swear a light blush spread across Gray's face. "It isn't real!"

_Lucy looked at the table to see Natsu lying on top of it. "What the hell are you doing, flame brain?!" Gray snapped, letting go of Lucy's waist and standing. _

_"__You want to fight, Ice Princess?" Natsu yelled back, standing on the table and glaring down at Gray. _

_"__You-"_

_"__Natsu!" Lucy snapped, standing and feeling a burst of courage. "Can I talk to you?" _

_Natsu blinked, shocked that Lucy had stepped in between him and Gray. "Luce? Everything okay?" _

_Lucy began to nod, but stopped herself. She had to do this now or she wouldn't do it at all. "I just – look, can we talk now? Please?"_

_Natsu nodded and jumped off the table, following Lucy out of the guild. "Where are we going?" He questioned. _

_Lucy just continued to walk, wanting to get far enough away from the guild so that no one would hear the conversation. It would be bad enough if Natsu rejected her- she couldn't bare it if others over heard them. _

_Finally, they made it to the park and Lucy perched on the end of a bench. Natsu sat beside her quietly, looking at her with a worried expression. _

"Quiety? Natsu?" Laxus muttered.

_"__Lucy, you're starting to worry me," Natsu finally spoke. _

_Lucy let out a deep breath. "Natsu, do you have… do you feel anything for me?"_

"Oh, that was eloquent," Loke laughed loudly, lightly elbowing Gray in the stomach and causing the ice mage to smirk.

_"__Course. We're family, after all."_

"Ouch," Hibiki winced as Lucy turned to Natsu furiously.

Natsu winced back, pressing his back against Gray. "It wasn't me! I didn't do it! Don't hit me again!"

_"__I don't mean like that," Lucy said, exasperated and yet feeling fond. She had known the pink haired boy wouldn't understand what she meant until she fully explained. No one would accuse him of being the brightest._

"Hey!" Natsu snapped as everyone laughed.

_"__I meant in another way. Like as a possible girlfriend," Lucy basically whispered the last part. If Natsu hadn't been a dragon slayer, he wouldn't have even heard her._

_His face turned red instantly. He looked away from her, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand and Lucy felt her heart fall. She had known this would happen. Why had she told him? She shouldn't have – "Well, yeah," Natsu muttered, looking up at her shyly, "I thought you knew that."_

_Lucy's heart stopped, "Wh- Natsu, I mean as in the two of us being in a relationship together. Dating."_

_Natsu smiled shyly, "I know. Don't we already do that?"_

Someone groaned loudly and Lucy saw Lisanna slam her head down against the table as she giggled uncontrollably. "Wow," Even muttered, chuckling.

Natsu was blushing, "I'm not that bad!"

_Lucy stared at him, shocked at the information. "Y-you thought that we were already – so you do –"_

_Natsu smiled brightly, slowly reaching out to wrap his hand around hers. "Of course. Who else?" _

_Lucy didn't know what to say. She just sat there and let a bright smile overtake her face._

Mira looked up, smiling at them all brightly. "That's the first one! I figured we would keep it tame. What did you all think?"

"That Natsu's an idiot," Gray muttered.

"Say that again, stripper?"

"Do we have to stay here for this?" Laxus muttered, glaring up at the take over mage, "I have better things to do than read about some teenage girls fantasies."

Mira's eyes narrowed, "Oh, is that so?"

"Uh, are we going to hear about Fairy Tail the entire time we're here?" Eve asked, breaking off the staring contest Laxus and Mira seemed to be engaged in. "Not that it isn't interesting, but if that's the case there are a few missions that-"

"No, I'll be reading about all the guilds and there are many stories that feature people from guilds together," Mira said, her happy exterior once again in place.

"That was so embarrassing," Lucy muttered, knowing she was bright red.

"Yeah, who would want to be paired with this idiot?" Gray muttered.

"Just wait! I bet you're-"

"Onto the next story!"

**A/N: Okay, I would still like you guys to contribute a fic. It doesn't have to be long, just something funny or sweet you think the guild members would get a fun reaction to. Also, below are a few suggested main pairings for this fic… let me know what you think.**

**Natsu/Erza**

**Natsu/Juvia**

**Juvia/Lyon**

**Lucy/Loke**

**Lucy/Luxas**

**Gray/Natsu**

**Gray/Loke**

**Anymore pairing ideas are welcome. I have a weak spot for Gray and Natsu or Gray and Loke… if anyone else wants to see one of those pairings, let me know. Please give your opinion! **


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

"Let's stay on the same concept and read another story about best friends," Mira said brightly, grabbing another magazine and flipping through the pages. "This next one should be fun! Let's see if you can figure out who it's about… the names aren't spoken until the end."

Loke chuckled at the groans around the room. Sure, it was a little awkward, but you couldn't deny it was slightly fun to listen to the stories and see your friends embarrassed. He couldn't wait until they read a story about Gray. He wondered who the ice mage would be paired with. Juvia? Lyon? Natsu? There were so many options and each was funnier than the last.

"Is everyone ready?" Mira asked, smiling radiantly.

"Please don't let it be me," Gray muttered, causing Loke to stifle a laugh.

_The two of them had been together for years. They had joined the guild at the sometime and had been inspirable ever since. Until now_

_He wasn't even sure how it had happened. One day everything was fine. The next, well, now he was lucky to second even a second with him. _

"Well, this is happy," Lucy muttered.

"Why is Mira reading things that are so…angsty?" Gray agreed, scowling. Loke chuckled, nudging his friend slightly.

_He had never thought about it much. About how important it was for him to be there. But now…now that he had gone and fallen for that Fairy girl…_

"Fairy Girl?" Wendy asked hesitantly.

Eve smiled at her slightly, "You Fairy's tend to show up in the stories often."

"And not always as the good guys," Lyon muttered.

_…__now he saw the truth. _

_When exactly had he fallen for his best friend? And how was he just now realizing it? He had always prided himself on being the one in touch with his emotions…well, at least more than the rest of his guild. But the second he had heard those words he had known what he had been denying to himself. _

"Who is this idiot?" Nutsu muttered.

_Those damn words, "Sorry, I have a date with Lucy tonight."_

"Why is it always me?" Lucy complained loudly, slamming her head down on the table. Gray snorted loudly beside Loke.

"Please stop harming yourself in my presence, princess." Loke said lightly, receiving an eye roll from Gray. Loke frowned at his friend, wondering what he had said to get that reaction.

_"__You know, that blonde from Fairy Tail?" The words had pierced him. He wasn't sure what to do anymore. _

_"__Rogue, you alright?" _

Every eye in the guild turned to the shadow dragon slayer. His face was carefully blank, though the slight widening of his eyes gave him away. Natsu laughed loudly, receiving a glare from Sting in return. In fact, the light dragon slayer seemed to have yet to realize who the other person in the story was.

_Rogue blinked, tyring to shake off the thoughts that were plaguing him. It wouldn't do any good. Not now. _

_"__Yeah, Sting I'm fine."_

Sting was on his feet instantly while Rogue's face remained stoic – though Loke could barely make out a slight pink tint on the young man's face. "That's stupid!" Sting roared, "We aren't…we don't…"

Mira giggled, "It's just a little fun, Sting!"

Sting glared at the girl ferociously, "Then why don't we read one about you?"

The smile slipped off of Mira's face and she hesitated as she glanced at the magazines piled beside her. "But…I didn't mark any for myself…"

"Do not worry," Erza cut in, stepping forward from where she had still been leaning against the wall, "I thought this might happen so I chose one for the possibility."

Now Mira looked worried. Gray was chuckling beside Loke and Lucy's head was snapping from Erza to Mira and back again. Mira wasn't the only person that looked worried. Lisanna was biting her lip. Many of the Fairy Tail mages were watching Erza warily. Everyone knew about the difficult relationship between the two most powerful women in Fairy Tail. What exactly would Erza have chosen?

"I don't know," Mira muttered, grabbing the magazine closest to her and flipping through it quickly, "I'm sure I can find something…"

"Nope, we didn't get to pick ours," Natsu cut in, smirking the takeover mage. "I'm sure the one Erza chose is fine."

Loke was surprised at the kid – he didn't think Natsu had it in him. Lisanna began to protest, while the Trimen smiled broadly. Juvia was staring at Gray once again, leaning over Loke to stare at him… and Gray himself was laughing silently. He was laughing so hard his body was shaking and brushing against Loke's every so often. Loke smiled at his friend fondly, leaning closer to the coolness radiating off of the ice mage.

"Go ahead, Erza," Lucy jumped in before Mira could argue, "you can read this one."

Erza nodded solemnly before she took a deep breath and began to read.

_They had been together for three months. Three months that had been absolutely blissful. But Mira knew it was going to come to an end. _

"Way to be pessimistic," Jenny scoffed, leaning her head against Hibiki's shoulder. Hibiki shifted slightly, making the girl move her head and pout up at him.

_Hibiki never stayed with anyone longer than three months._

"Mira and Hibiki!" Natsu yelled out, laughing loudly.

Loke chuckled at the fire dragon slayer but studied the Trimen sitting in front of him. Hibiki looked slightly irritated. Maybe he didn't like his first portrayal in the story?

_Mira had known going into this that the relationship would most likely end in tears. Yet, she had decided to give it a try anyway. _

_She was glad she had. There was a saying, better to have love and lost than never loved at all. She agreed with it completely. If she hadn't allowed himself to accept that invitation for dinner, she wouldn't have experienced the best three months of her life. She never would have been as happy as she was at that moment._

Mira shifted on the stage, ignoring the looks she was getting from many of the girls in the guild. Loke almost felt sorry for the takeover mage…though she was the one who began this. Though he wasn't sure why Erza would have chosen a story about her being paired with Hibiki of all people.

He was glad it wasn't him.

_But she knew, Last week had been their three month anniversary. No one in the last ten years had dated Hibiki that long. She knew when he called and asked her to go out tonight that this was it. _

_"__Three months, huh?" Lisanna questioned as she made her way around the bar. She was covering for Mira that night so she could go out. "Little long for him, isn't it?"_

Hibiki shifted his glare to the younger takeover mage. Lisanna held up her hands, "I didn't say it!"

_Lisanna had never liked Hibiki. _

Lisanna hid behind her hand as the glare intensified.

_She was convinced the man would hurt her sister. And Mira had been through enough in her life. _

_Usually, Mira would reprimand Lisanna for that comment – but not tonight. Instead, Mira just thanked her for watching the bar and slowly made her way to the restaurant where Hibiki was already waiting. _

_Mira had to fight back tears the moment she saw him. He looked absolutely perfect. She knew that after tonight they would only see each other in passing. He would most likely have another girl on his arm. _

Jenny huffed angrily. "Hibiki and I have been together for months!"

"Has it been three?" Lucy muttered.

_She was planning on avoiding him as much as she possibly could. _

_"__Good evening," Hibiki greeted, standing and making his way to her. He gently put his arm around her waist and kissed her cheek before leading her over to the table. "I'm sorry we couldn't meet last week on our actual anniversary. The job took longer than expected."_

_Mira smiled, well, tried to smile, as Hibiki pulled out her chair. "Of course."_

_Hibiki frowned at her as he took his seat. "Is everything alright? You seem a bit…upset. Did something happen at the guild?"_

"When doesn't something happen at the guild?" Levy questioned brightly, smiling as the members of Fairy Tail began to cheer.

_Mira laughed lightly but even she winced at how fake it sounded. "Natsu started a fight with Gray,-"_

"Nothing odd there," Lucy muttered, glaring at the two boys.

_-Grajeel got involved when Gray fell into him,-"_

Levy smiled at the dragon slayer, "Also not odd."

_"__-then Laxus began to fry everyone when Natsu missed Gajeel and hit Freed instead."_

Freed promptly burst into tears as he thanked Laxus for protecting him. Laxus shifted uncomfortably as his friend latched onto him.

_"__Then Erza started up and half of the guild needs repaired-"_

Loud laughter rang out at the words. It really did sound like one of the everyday occurrences at Fairy Tail.

_"__So nothing different than normal." _

_Hibiki stared at her with wide eyes, his head shaking back and forth. "I don't know how you stand it. That never happens at Blue Pegasus." _

Many of the Fairy Tail members looked at members of Blue Pegasus in pity. "That would be so boring!" Natsu proclaimed loudly, making the members of his guild nod.

The members of the visiting guilds merely stared at the Fairy Tail mages, all of them obviously thinking of how mad Fairy Tail really was.

_Mira shrugged, "It's home." _

_"__I suppose so."_

_The two sat in silence, Hibiki with a frown on his face. "If you don't like anything on the menu we can go-"_

_"__I would rather you just break it off now," Mira told him, her heart pounding. She couldn't do this. She couldn't have a meal with him and make small talk until he finally decided to do it. "Then we can both be on our way." _

"Bit harsh," Gray muttered.

Loke shrugged, "She is the demon, no matter how soft she looks right now."

_There was a complete silence. Mira shifted in her seat, her eyes not leaving the table in front of her. Why wasn't he saying anything? _

"Because I'm in shock," Hibiki muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

_After another minute, Mira decided to look up…maybe he had left and she hadn't heard him? _

_But no, he was sitting across from her, a stunned expression on his face. "I-you…why exactly should I break up with you?" He finally demanded, his voice hoarse. "If you don't want to be in a relationship with me you have to end it yourse-"_

_"__What?" Mira broke in, confused. "No! It just… it's been three months."_

_"__And?!" _

"Exactly!" Hibiki snapped, agreeing with himself.

_"__And you always break up with your girlfriends when it hits three months!" Mira finished loudly. _

_There was silence once again. Hibiki was staring at her, mouth hanging open. "I'm not…I don't plan on breaking up with you, Mira."_

_Mira blinked, heart pounding. "You don't?"_

_"__I don't." Hibiki said, shaking his head and swallowing nervously. "Why would I break up with someone I'm in love with?" _

_Mira's mouth dropped open. "I – you-"_

_Hibiki cleared his throat and picked up his menu, cheeks pink. "Now, what should we order?"_

Mira blushed brightly as Erza closed the magazine. Hibiki continued to stare at the takeover mage in contemplation, his arms crossed over his chest. "Geez, Mira," Lisanna teased her sister, "you didn't even say it back."

Mira's blush darkened. "Lisanna-"

"How horrible," Jenny sniped, wrapping her arm around Hibiki once again, "Hibiki would never go for such an old woman."

Loke felt his eyebrows raise. This girl did know Hibiki used to date Karen, correct? The celestial mage had definitely been older than the boy.

"She's younger than you are," Laxus growled, still pushing a crying Freed off of him.

Jenny merely waved her hand as if waving the words away. "Technically."

"Hibiki and Mira would look lovely together," Lucy said dreamily, staring off at something the rest couldn't see.

Loke shook his head at his princess. How was it she was such a romantic about other people but couldn't see any of her own possibilities?

"Moving on!" Mira said loudly, flipping to a marked page. Her pinched lips faded into a smirk and half the people in the room suddenly felt the need to be somewhere else. Anywhere else. As long as it was away from Mirajane Stauss. "Well, this should be fun."

**Authors note: Uh, hi all. Thanks for the reviews and everything! Reviews make me happy. Sorry it took so long... Yeah, anyway, still interested in short stories if anyone wants to write something for this story. Also, still accepting your votes for the main pairings. I have probably had at least one request for every pairing you can think of, lol, but there were a few that I have more than one vote for. Below are those pairings;**

**Laxus/Mira**

**Natsu/Erza**

**Lucy/Laxus**

**Gray/Loke**

**Loke/Lucy**

**Juvia/Lyon**

**Laxus/Freed**

**So, continue letting me know what pairing you would like! I'll keep the pole open for a couple more chapters. **

**Thanks! **


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Gray stared at Mira warily, just praying he wasn't involved in whatever scheme she currently had in that head of hers. It always seemed that when it came to someone getting revenge on one of his teammates (Erza or Natsu usually), he got pulled down with them. And there was no denying that Erza and Natsu had caused the embarrassment the take-over mage had just gone through.

"This isn't going to be good, is it?" Lucy moaned, her head hitting the table once more.

Gray shook his head slowly while ignoring the protesting Loke (princess, I must ask you to please stop hurting yourself) once more. "This is going to suck," he muttered, crossing his arms over his chest.

Natsu shot Lucy a grin, "Oh, come on! We've already had something read about us once, it's someone else's turn. Hopefully something about Ice Princess!"

Gray scowled, "Shut up flame brain! It doesn't work like that!"

"Everyone ready?" Mira asked brightly, though even Elfman and Lisanna looked a little frightened over the gleam in their sister's eyes.

_Natsu was having a great day. Team Natsu-_

"Wh-?! But you already read something about me!"

_-had completed a high level mission, they had all gotten the full amount of reward money, and now she got to spend the rest of the day with her boyfriend._

Silence. The entire guild was silent as the words slowly sank in. "Did…did she just say…"

The words broke the silence as every person broke into laughter. "Oh Mavis!" Gray gasped, holding his side as he attempted to stay sitting on the bench. Loke was shaking beside him, obviously trying to keep silent, but he eventually gave up and collapsed into Gray, tears streaming down his face.

"Damn, that's one ugly girl!"

"Eh, I don't know. Might be kind of pretty actually."

"Wait, did you say boyfriend?"

"Who would date _that_?"

Natsu stood angrily, his fists lighting up as he scowled at the room, "Hey! I would be a good looking girl! I bet loads of guys would want to date me!"

Lucy groaned at the words, burying her head in her hands as a new wave of laughter broke out. "Sure!" Sting gasped out, pointing at Natsu with his right hand and holding his stomach with his left. Even Rogue was hiding his smile behind his hand, his shaking shoulders giving him away.

"That's your complaint?" Gray asked, shaking his head at the idiot.

"What's that supposed to mean ice bastard?"

_Even though the two of them were on the same team, they really didn't have much time to spend by themselves._

Gray froze mid laugh. On the same team…they couldn't possibly mean…

"I knew there was a reason those two argued so much!" Max yelled out, a smirk on his face. "You two just don't know how to handle attraction!"

Laughter rang out once again, this time people also pointing at Gray. "It isn't like that!" Gray yelled out, slamming his fist against the table. Loke threw his arm around Gray's waist, his head coming down to rest on Gray's shoulder. "Calm down," he muttered, still chuckling. "It's just a story."

Gray winced, trying to move away from the lion. Loke had always been a little…touchy, and eventually Gray had gotten used to it. But this was not the time! Gray glanced up, meeting Lyon's gaze. The older ice mage was watching him, a smirk gracing his features. "Ah, maybe you would be more comfortable if Natsu was portrayed with the correct gender," he said innocently, his hand gesturing to the man draped on Gray's left side.

Gray's face instantly turned red as he tried to once again remove himself from his friend. "Let me go!" Gray finally hissed. Loke didn't respond, though he moved even closer to his old teammate and his arm tightened slightly.

"Juvia would like Loke to remove himself from Gray-sama," Juvia's voice drifted over to them. Gray winced at the creepy sound. She really did freak him out when she sounded like that.

"Nope," Loke slurred.

_Not that Natsu didn't like spending time with Lucy – she was her best friend after all. _

Lucy smiled slightly, looking at the pink haired fire mage. Natsu didn't return the smile, instead still standing and looking horrified at his childhood rival.

_She would even admit to liking being around Gray…to a point, anyway._

Gray instantly sat up straight, mouth hanging open at the words. "So not you, then," Loke muttered into his shoulder. He let out a sigh.

Gray didn't wonder why the celestial spirit was sighing about that – to him it was great!- but that meant the only other person on the team was…

_But Natsu and Erza had always had something special. From the moment she had walked into the guild all those years ago and seen the red headed boy fighting with the ice queen, Natsu had known that the two of them would be together. _

No one dared to laugh. This was Erza. Erza Scarlett! And Mira had…

Well, if anyone had the guts to do something like this, it was Mira.

Gray slowly shifted his eyes to the girl still standing by the doorway, as did everyone other person in the room. They expected to see Tatianna in all her glory. To see her ready for battle. They didn't expect to see her with her head lowered and a bright blush across her cheeks.

Gray gaped. She was blushing. And not just a little. Her face was as red as her hair.

"That's enough!" Natsu yelled, glaring up at the stage. "Leave Erza out of it!"

_I had taken her years to confess to the reequip mage. Years in which she had fallen a little more every day. But when she finally had, when she had said those words, Erza had let his stoic face relax into a small smile. And that was when the one thing happened that Natsu would never forget. He had said-_

"Stop!" Natsu roared, flames shooting in every direction.

Many from the other guilds screamed, ducking under tables or hiding behind others. The members of Fairy Tail jumped to their feet, their own magic ready. Gray had instantly thrown out an ice shield, blocking Loke and the others on his side of the table. Lyon had shot him a glare, but Gray rolled his eyes. He had more experience with Natsu in a mood and if Gray hadn't put up the shield Lyon and his little band of followers would have been roasted.

Across from Natsu, Gajeel had pushed Levy out of the way and slammed his iron fist into Natsu's stomach. Natsu yelled out, moving forward to punch the other dragon slayer while Sting and Rogue both stood, their own magic building around them.

"Nice," Loke muttered, finally moving away from Gray and pushing up his glasses as he looked at the fire dragon slayer. "Little extreme."

"That's Natsu for you," Gray muttered back.

"Watch it!" Laxus snapped, his own magic reacting and shooting toward Natsu.

"Enough!" Erza yelled, the blush still on her face but her eyes hard. She turned her gaze to Mira as the lightning and fire slowly began to fade, Gray letting the ice melt away as well. "Perhaps another story would be more appropriate."

Mira and Erza locked eyes and Gray immediately began to back away. He remembered what happened when they were kids. It always started with that look. He wanted no part of it.

It lasted long enough for most to begin to look uncomfortable. More than one member of Fairy Tail was edging towards the door. Many from the other guilds, seeing the action, looked panicked and tried to find their own way out.

But the Mira smiled and closed the magazine, a bright smile on her face once more. "Alright. Do you have a suggestion?"

There was a collective sigh at the words. "Good. I was trying to figure out how many of you I could pull into the spirit world," Loke muttered as he settled back in his seat. "Honestly, probably just you and princess."

Gray blinked in surprise. "I thought that was against the rules. And we don't have any clothes from there…"

Loke waved his hand, "I could get Virgo here fast enough for you to throw on a shirt or something before pulling you with me. The Spirit King wouldn't want Lucy hurt, so I wouldn't get in that much trouble."

"I'm not Lucy," Gray pointed out.

Loke shrugged, "It would be worth it."

Gray's mouth dropped open. How was he supposed to respond to that?!

"Natsu, you can sit back down," Erza said, looking at the dragon slayer briefly before shifting her eyes away. "That story will not be continued."

Natsu slowly sank back on the bench, a scowl on his face and his arms crossed over his chest. Gray relaxed in his seat, no longer preparing himself for an attack – an attack by his own teammates, none the less.

"Sis, can I pick one?" Lisanna called out, smiling brightly at her older sister.

Mira beamed, "Of course! You can all choose one, if you want!"

It was at that moment that Gray decided to take a page out of Lucy's book and slam his head down against the table. Maybe if he hit it hard enough, he would knock himself unconscious.

**A/N: Hi everyone! I hope you liked this chapter! I really enjoy reading your reviews! The Alerts and Faves are awesome, they let me know you guys really like this story. Below is the list for the top pairings at the moment – be sure to let me know what you want for the main pairings in the story! Also, if you have any ideas for a short story, let me know! **

**I will probably start weeding out some of the pairings soon… maybe with this chapter. I'll start picking based on the amount of votes. Here are the most voted for so far!**

**Natsu/Erza**

**Lucy/Laxus**

**Gray/Loke**

**Gray/Mira**

**Gray/Erza**

**Gray/Natsu**

**Remember, I have a huge list of pairings people have suggested, so just because they aren't on this list so far, go ahead and vote! They might be there next time!**

**One more thing – a couple of reviews asked about stories for this story. I have to have permission from the author to put their story in this story. Also, I don't have any problem with stories having new knowledge from the manga in them – I never specifically set a time when this story takes place. So if you have an idea, let me know! **


	5. Chapter 5

Lucy had a really bad feeling. She didn't think Lisanna would choose anything too embarrassing. Maybe she would even choose something about another guild! That would be great.

Lucy wasn't even sure why they were doing this. She knew Mira had some odd ideas at times, but this was really, really different. She just had to pray that her story wasn't one that was marked in those stupid magazines.

Things were certainly getting heated in the guild hall. It was embarrassing enough to have peoples…fantasies about you read out loud to not only your guild, but to the top guilds in Fiore! But for a minute she was certain Mira was going to transform on Erza and that would have just been a disaster. Natsu was always easy to rile up and he showed just how fired up he could get earlier when he literally exploded on them.

Lisanna stepped onto the stage and picked up a magazine that was suspiciously on the edge of the stage and not in Mira's pile. She instantly flipped through it until she landed on a page that looked to be dog-eared. "This story is so cute!" She squealed, instantly reminding Lucy of her older sister. "Sorry if I embarrass anyone, but I have to read it!"

Lucy looked over as she heard a pounding noise, only to see Gray slamming his head repeatedly against the table and Loke moving to wrap his arms around the other boy and hold him back. "Calm down!" She heard Loke mutter.

Gray scowled and Natsu began to laugh loudly. "Trying to knock yourself out, ice-princess?"

"Better than being conscious right now," Gray growled back, not even bothering to respond to the name.

"That's just like you, Gray," Lyon drawled, a smirk crossing his face, "avoiding what is right in front of you and-"

"Just ignore it," Loke said loudly, drowning out whatever Lyon was going to say next.

"Quiet!" Erza commanded from behind them, making every person at the table cringe forward in their seats. Lisanna smiled brightly from the stage and began to read.

_He had known from the moment they met that she was special. The moment she had run into the room – and fell flat on her face – he had been mesmerized by her beauty._

Oh Mavis.

_He had been skeptical about this group. He had worked with the Magic Council long enough to hear the rumors about Fairy Tail, -_

"The Magic Council?" Hibiki questioned, blinking in surprise and looking toward the youngest of the Trimen.

Eve himself was frowning. Lucy knew what he was thinking. He was the only person currently active in a guild that at one time had worked for the Magic Counsil. Which meant it wouldn't be long before someone realized exactly who the story was about. This was just great. But just because they knew who it was about didn't mean they knew who wrote it. She just had to keep calm. No one would know.

"Rumors about Fairy Tail?" Cana cut off Lucy's thoughts, sounding completely sober despite the multitude of mugs around her.

Many members of the other guilds began to shift uncomfortably. "Nothing you don't admit to," Sting said, shrugging his shoulders.

"What does that mean?" Natsu growled as his body began to grow warmer. Lucy shifted away from him, pressing arm against Levy's.

"Calm down, flame brain," Gray muttered.

"Squ-"

"Enough!"

"Eeek!"

_-there was a reason he hadn't joined the guild, and Lamia Scale had never been known as one of the top guilds, despite having a Wizard Saint as a member. _

"Excuse me?" Lyon asked, his voice dangerously soft. Lucy instantly sank back and tried to hide herself between Levy and Natsu. Just breath. They don't know who wrote it. It will be fine.

_As for Cait Shelter, he had never heard anything at all. He vaguely remembered that they were a newer guild, but beyond that, he was blank. _

"Cait Shelter?" Wendy said softly, a frown on her face.

Lucy saw Eve's eyes move toward the young girl and lit up in recognition. Hibiki and Ren both seemed to understand too if their amused looks between the two were anything to go by.

"Wait…Fairy Tail, Lamia Scale, and Cait Shelter? The only guild missing is Blue Pegasus and then it would be the Nirvana team!" Natsu said loudly.

Lucy fought back a groan as various people also began to comprehend exactly what the writer was talking about.

_It had started off as he expected, with the members of Fairy Tail picking a fight and Lamia Scale encouraging them once they arrived. _

"We did not pick a fight!" Gray snapped at the same time Lyon commented, "We did not encourage it!"

The two ice mages glared at each other as Hibiki smirked, "Of course you did. I was there, after all."

"Shut up, pretty boy!"

"Wait…you were there. And so were we. But who knew that Wendy-" Gray cut himself off as his eyes slowly flickered to Lucy. A smirk slowly flickered across his lips and Lucy felt her stomach churn. He knew. Of course he knew. She just had to hope he wouldn't mention it to anyone else. Bad enough to have something you've written read to this many people – it's worse for those people to know you ship one of your friends with a member of a rival guild!

_The two ice mages seemed to have some sort of history by the familial tension between the two. He briefly wondered if they were brothers or otherwise related but quickly dismissed the idea. He would have been informed if they were related in some way. _

"Bro-"

"We aren't-"

"Family!"

"How could you-"

"re – related –"

"Wow," Loke muttered, glancing between Gray and Lyon. "You two are similar, aren't you?"

Gray growled, moving away from the spirit and glaring at him. Loke just smiled lightly and wrapped his arm around Gray and pulled him back toward him. "I would appreciate it if everyone notes that Gray and I are not related in any way," Lyon said, eyeing the orange haired man with distaste.

Lucy avoided looking toward her friend, knowing his glare would be fixated on her. Well, there went any hope she had of keeping her writing a secret.

_He was about to voice his own frustration when the doors opened and she ran in. Long blue hair, pale skin, and dark brown eyes, he felt his breath leave him as she tripped and slammed into the floor. _

"Oh!" Wendy said as her pale skin began to take on a red hue. She quickly buried her face in her hands as Charle stood before her with her hands on her hips.

"Honestly! She's just a child!"

"I'm not that young, Charle! And if the time lapse hadn't happened-"

"But it did, child. No use pretending you are older than you are."

_He moved forward instantly, hoping to be the first to introduce himself. She was certainly the closest to his age in attendance, though that wasn't the reason he felt so attracted to her. _

Every eye from the Nirvana team now turned toward Eve. He rose an eyebrow as others in the room followed the gazes toward him. Wendy blushed even brighter as the youngest Trimen turned his eyes on her and winked.

"Honestly!"

_He pulled her toward him and sat her on the sofa, using the skills he had learned in his guild to hopefully attract her attention. Unfortunately, she seemed more afraid of him than anything. _

"Wait, how would the writer know that?" Hibiki said, his eyes narrowed in thought.

"What?" Eve questioned.

"Well, so far everything the writer said actually did happen. It's hitting a little too close to be a complete work of fiction."

Lucy forced herself to keep calm. No need to panic. They still don't know. Just keep calm and no one will figure it out.

_He didn't have long to worry about it. With everything that has been happening with Nirvana, he was barely able to keep himself alive, much less anything else. _

_Afterwards, he had been hoping that she would consider joining Blue Pegasus. After all, she no longer had a guild to return to, right? But she ended up with Fairy Tail. He had to admit, Fairy Tail was better than he had first thought._

"Yeah we are," Natsu growled at the blond across from him. Eve held up his hands in surrender, obviously not wanting to start a fight with the dragon slayer. He had to have known that protesting that this wasn't actually his thoughts wouldn't have stopped Natsu from taking revenge.

_They had certainly saved his life, and the lives of countless others, when they destroyed Nirvana. Though he thought there was something, something that had happened that the destructive guild was keeping from them. However, he could see the appeal and it didn't surprise him that she ended up joining them. Especially with Natsu there. He was sure there were many things she could learn from the older dragon-slayer. _

"That is true," Wendy said quietly, giving a small smile Natsu's way.

_So they went their separate ways. He tried to find a reason to run into her. Tried to pick jobs that Fairy Tail members would find interesting in hopes she would be there. However, he never seemed to see her. He had heard that things were going well with her. He had even considered contacting her more than once but he never seemed to get around to it. _

"Yeah right. Those pretty boys would be all over you, given the option," Gajeel growled.

It was Hibiki's turn to hold up his hands, "Sorry, Wendy. You're a little too young for us."

_It wasn't until later that he regretted his choice. Not until he was standing in the middle of the guild and Master Bob was standing in front of them, announcing the devastation of Tenrou Island. "Among the missing and assumed dead are the following: Master Markarov, Mira Strauss, Erza Scarlett, Gildarts, Cana Alberona, Natsu Dragneel, Gray Fullbuster, Lisanna Strauss, Elfman Strauss, Wendy Marvell-"_

_He couldn't breath. His chest felt tight. Missing. Assumed dead. Wendy – _

_"__Eve? Eve! Are you okay? Eve!" _

Lisanna closed the magazine and beamed down at the room. "Wasn't that just adorable? Sorry if it embarrassed you, Wendy! I just had to share. It's just so cute and a little heartbreaking-"

"And completely inappropriate!" Charle snapped.

"It's fine, Charle," Wendy said softly.

"I can't even say it was completely wrong," Eve said, shrugging his shoulders as the blue haired girl turned to gape at him. "I did think you were cute and I was trying to get your attention. Obviously things aren't the same anymore, but at the time it was pretty close."

"Except the ending," Hibiki mused, resting his chin on his hands, "Master Bob didn't tell us about what happened to Fairy Tail in the way that was described. And I don't remember Eve having a panic attack."

"Because I didn't."

"But most of the rest of it was pretty accurate. Embellished, maybe, but accurate. So here's the real question, who from the Nirvana team is a writer?"

Every single member of Fairy Tail, whether on the Nirvana team or not, slowly turned their eyes toward the blonde who was trying to sink into the floor. Lucy closed her eyes, just knowing that every person would soon be staring at her. She felt her blush spread up her cheeks.

"Great story, Lucy!"

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait! I fell out of this fandom for awhile, but I'm ready to start back up! This chapter doesn't feel as great as the others, so be sure to let me know what you think. I'm going to leave the voting up for the story pairings until the end of this week (Friday, April 1****st****) so be sure to get your vote in before then. I will say that at the moment, it looks like Natsu/Erza is definitely going to win with some other pairings as well. Let me know what you think! (BTW: If you do not like slash fics, please be aware that I will most likely end up with a Gray/Loke pairing in this fic. I just want to warn you now.) **


	6. Chapter 6

Loke smirked slightly as his princess hid her face behind her hands. So, the story was Lucy's, was it? He glanced at Eve and Wendy briefly, seeing both of them laughing along with everyone else. Good. Neither of them seemed to be upset. Princess would be fine.

Gray was shaking beside him. He seemed almost incapable of breathing he was laughing so hard. Loke smiled, tightening his hold around the boy beside him and pressing his face into Gray's shoulder. Gray always smelt nice. It was one reason he had started hugging the boy in the first place. Not to mention, the coolness that radiated off of his body always helped Loke calm down.

"I'm almost afraid of what will be next," Ren muttered.

"You're the only one of the Trimen left," Eve responded, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm sure it will happen eventually."

"It will be about our LOVE!" Shelly said, leaning over to wrap herself around her fiancé.

"Thank you, Lisanna," Mira said brightly, picking up one of her many magazines. "Is everyone ready for our next story?"

Loke chuckled into Gray's shoulder at the muttering he heard around the room. Obviously, no one was ready but no one was going to tell Mira Jane that.

_They had met as children. Each of them had faced their own challenges, had trauma's no other person would be able to understand, including each other. They fought constantly, one impulsive one calm. Yet, despite their differences, they would call each other friends._

"That could be anyone," Natsu muttered.

"Not everyone fights with their friends, Natsu," Sting pointed out.

_When the team first formed, neither of them really thought anything of it. It wasn't as if they had never worked together before. But things were different now. This wasn't a onetime thing. They were together every day, either on a job or in the guild. Every so often, one of them would take a job without the others, a small job. But, eventually, he began to notice. The longer he stayed away, the more this…feeling began to appear._

"Feelings?" Laxus muttered in obvious distaste, earning himself a glare from the demon who had paused in her reading.

"Yes, Laxus, feelings! Can I continue or do you have something else to say?"

Laxus rolled his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest while he sat back in his chair. "I'd rather you didn't, but if you must."

Mira's glare intensified as she stared at the lightning dragon slayer. Loke sat up and moved forward, placing his elbows on the table and resting his head on his palms. This could turn out badly. "So, remember that comment about the spirit realm?" Gray muttered from beside him, mimicking his position.

Loke slowly nodded his head. "Maybe I should just have Virgo bring you a shirt now. Just in case." The words had barely escaped his lips before he felt a pull to the spirit world. He glanced over his shoulder, not at all surprised to see Virgo standing behind him.

"Is this okay, brother?" She asked, holding out the same jacket Gray had worn on his last trip to the spirit world.

Gray jumped, obviously startled. "When did you get here?"

"I heard big brother call me," She turned slightly, "Good morning, princess. I enjoyed your story."

Lucy's face turned as red as Erza's hair. "Ho-how did you…?"

"I was watching," Virgo said as Gray slid the jacket on. I watched him carefully. I would have to make sure it didn't disappear before the end of this…meeting. "We all are. It is very entertaining."

"Oh!" Mira said, making us turn our attention toward her, "If I had known you could watch, I would have chosen some stories for you as well!"

Virgo bowed slightly while Loke felt himself wince. He didn't want to imagine what type of stories those would be. "Thank you. I will be returning now."

Mira cleared her throat, clearly no longer concerned with Laxus, and began to read once more.

_His chest ached. He thought about her constantly and he began to think more and more about returning to the guild. He rushed through solo jobs until he just stopped taking them altogether._

"This guy has it bad," Eve muttered.

"It's pathetic," Ren scowled.

_The only jobs he took were with the team. He sat beside her on the train, kept an eye on her as they travelled, found reasons to be alone with her. He knew he was being obvious. At least one other person had noticed, probably more. He knew it was going to come out eventually. _

_"__Gray?" The person beside him, the very person he was just thinking of, spoke._

Loke sat up quickly, eyes narrowing instantly. Gray? As in, the Gray sitting beside him? That Gray?

"Oh, interesting," Lyon taunted, amusement on his features as he stared at his childhood rival. "Something to tell us, Gray?"

"Shut up!" Gray snapped, his eyes flickering around the room frantically as he looked for an escape route.

"Wait," Natsu said, his own eyes narrowed. "Someone on the team? No way! I won't allow it!"

Gray turned on him instantly, "You don't get a say!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too! Lucy is my best friend! And Erza is –"

Gray rose an eyebrow, staring at Natsu, "Erza is what?"

Now it was Natsu's turn to look for an escape. "Nothing," he finally muttered. Loke looked at the fire dragon slayer curiously, but he didn't have time to focus on him.

He slipped his arm around Gray's waist, pulling the younger against him. "Don't let them get to you."

_Gray tore his eyes away from the landscape they had been passing, focusing on the woman beside him. "We will arrive in the next couple of minutes. Please get Natsu ready."_

_Gray fought back a scowl and turned his attention to the flame-brain. He was passed out, courtesy of the woman beside him. _

"…wait!" Max said, staring at Mira with wide-eyes. "The person Gray was thinking about was _Erza_?"

There was complete silence for only a moment and then the laughter started. Loke chuckled a bit, mostly to keep up appearances. For some reason, he felt irritated at the thought of Gray obsessing over Erza.

"Is that so odd?" Erza demanded, her hands on her hips as she glared around the room. The laughter stopped instantly as everyone turned their eyes away from her. "Gray?"

Loke's arm dropped as Gray's back straightened. "Yes?"

"Is it so strange that you would have feelings for me?"

Gray's mouth dropped open as he stared at her. "I…uh…no, of course it wouldn't be...strange…"

"Juvia has a new love rival!"

Loke winced, ducking his head away from the blue haired girl beside him. Great. "Juvia will not let you have Gray-sama! Stay away from him!"

Erza's eyes narrowed, "Are you ordering me?"

Juvia stood, "Stay away from Gray-sama!"

"Hey, wait a minute," Gray cut in, standing up and looking between both Erza and Juvia. "This is just a story. It isn't real so you two-"

"Oh, you must think so high of yourself, Gray," Lyon cut in, a scowl on his features. "Two women fighting for you. How poetic."

"Lyon-"

"Your jealously is showing," Loke said lightly, grabbing Gray's jacket and pulling him back onto the bench as he stared at the older ice make wizard.

Lyon's attention turned to him, "I'm not the only one."

"What is _that_ supposed to mean?" Gray snapped, breaking out of Loke's hold and standing once again. "Don't bring him into this!"

Lyon stood as well, "I didn't involve him, Gray, he started himself."

"Enough!" Erza said loudly, "Mira, continue!"

_Lucy, who was sitting across from him, shot a smirk his way as she motioned toward the idiot. Sighing, Gray stood as the train began to slow and grabbed the other boy's arms, lifting him from the floor._

"Don't call me an idiot, droopy eyes!" Natsu exploded, joining Lyon and Gray standing.

"Knock it off, Natsu! I didn't say it!"

"Both of you shut up!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

_"__Let's get going," Erza said, nodding her approval toward Gray. He turned his head away quickly, knowing if he wasn't careful, she would notice the red that stained his cheeks. _

"How cute," Lyon stated sarcastically.

"Gray-sama! No blushing for anyone except Juvia!"

"For the last time, this didn't happen!"

_This entire thing was ridiculous! She was Erza! The one girl he was actually afraid of! The same girl he used to take baths with when he was…_

_Okay, best not to think about the baths._

Loke blinked as everyone laughed. "Baths? Did you really…?"

"How the hell do they know about that?" Gray exploded, his fists clenched. The laughter increased. "Stop it! Natsu was there, too!"

"Not better," Loke said, pressing his hand against his head. He felt a headache coming on. "Sit down, Gray." Gray nodded stiffly, slowing sinking down onto the bench once again as the laughter continued.

_"__Gray?" Lucy asked quietly from where she stood behind him. "We need to go before she comes looking for us."_

_Gray blinked and stepped forward, Natsu thrown over his shoulder. The idiot would wake up within the next few minutes so it was better to be off the train before then. Even if it wasn't moving, the bastard would probably puke down his back. _

_"__Let's find a room and drop off our things," Erza stated as soon as she saw them step off of the train. "We will find our client after that." _

_The mission went quickly, the wizard that had been terrorizing the town wasn't a match for Team Natsu. They had completely defeated the wizard and were on their way back to the train when it happened. He felt the buildup of energy first. He stopped, turning his head slightly to the side, only to blink in surprise as pain suddenly exploded in his side. Gasping, Gray dropped his eyes, seeing the bright red leaking down his side. _

All laughter abruptly stopped at the words. Loke looked at Mira sharply. This was different than the others she had been reading.

_Briefly, he wondered what had happened to his shirt, before he sank onto his knees. "Gray!" Someone screamed. He vaguely heard the sound of fighting going on around him and noticed someone standing in front of him. He blinked, trying to focus around the black dots in his vision. _

Loke grasped onto Gray as the story continued. "What the hell is she reading?" He demanded furiously. Gray didn't respond, he merely leaned into the arm Loke had wrapped around his waist.

_"__Gray! Stay awake!" He fought to keep his eyes open, noticing now there wasn't just one person kneeling above him, but three. "Gray!" _

_Wait, he knew that voice. "Erza?"_

_"__Stay awake! Happy went to get someone!"_

_"__Natsu! You have to keep that pressed on the wound!"_

_"__Lucy, give me your shirt! This isn't working anymore…"_

_"__Too much blood…"_

_"__GRAY!"_

Mira snapped the magazine closed, beaming at those around her. "Did…did they just kill off Gray?" Lucy said slowly, shock coloring her words.

Loke pulled Gray closer to him at the words. "What the hell, Mira?!" Gray snapped, not even trying to break Loke's hold.

"Not everything is happy!" Mira said cheerfully, "Some of these actually made me cry when reading them!"

"Wait, Gray died? He wasn't just hurt or something?" Natsu said, a frown on his face. "But he was with us! We wouldn't have let him die!"

"No, we wouldn't," Erza said firmly, her hand on her sword.

"Yeah! There is no way that would happen!" Lucy snapped.

Loke smiled at the look of wonder that crossed Gray's face. "They're right you know," he muttered into Gray's ear. He smirked as the boy flinched. "None of us would let that happen."

Gray shifted his head slightly, looking at Loke briefly. "Sometimes it's inevitable. But, thanks."

**A/N: So…bet you're surprised to see this. If anyone is even still reading it, or even looking forward to it. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things, but I might have missed the mark a bit with this. Hope you enjoyed it anyway.**

**As for pairings – I made a list before I started this chapter and here are the results for the main pairings!**

**Natsu/Erza – **

**Laxus/Lucy**

**Gray/Loke**

**These are the three pairings I'll be working on throughout the main fic, while the "fanfiction pieces" will have a multitude of pairings. I'll be writing short fics for all of the suggestions and using them. Thanks! Let me know what you think!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: New chapter! Yay! I wanted to thank CabbageGir99****who is the writer for the amazing work we find in this chapter. Anything you see in italics is hers and I have to say, I laughed the entire time I was reading it. I hope you all enjoy! Let me know if you like the chapter!**

Lyon watched with narrowed eyes as the spirit pulled Gray to his chest. How dare he hurt Juvia! Gray was well aware of the way Juvia felt about him and what did he do? Throw it in her face that he liked someone else! And a man, on top of everything!

It was despicable. To think that Gray would pass over Juvia for someone like…that.

"What?" Gray demanded, apparently noticing Lyon's eyes on him.

Lyon didn't get a chance to respond as Juvia grabbed onto the lion spirit and forcefully attempted to pull him away from her "beloved Gray-sama!" Gray turned away from Lyon and focused on the fact that the lion had tore his arm away from Juvia and turned to glare at her. "Loke-" Gray muttered, barely loud enough for Lyon to hear, "don't bother."

How dare he!

"Gray-sama! Come sit beside me! If you are cold, Juvia will help warm you up!"

Gray looked at the girl, his brows furrowed as the lion – Loke- laughed. "Juvia, I'm an ice wizard. I don't get cold."

"There's no need to talk to her like that, Gray," Lyon cut in, earning himself a glare from two people across from him, "with the way the cat is hanging off of you, anyone would assume otherwise."

"Cat?" Loke said quietly, his eyes flashing behind his glasses.

"My darling Gray-sama must not be feeling well! That would explain why he is letting this filthy thing touch him!"

"Thing?" Loke snapped, turning to glare at the rain woman. "At least Gray doesn't run away whenever I'm around him."

"Loke-"

"Gray-sama is just shy! He knows our love will withstand time! Loke is now Juvia's love-rival…"

"Juvia, stop!"

"Go ahead, Gray. I'm sure you and the cat would be great together. I'll take care of Juvia-"

"Shut up, Lyon!"

"Ooh!" The argument broke off as the four turned to the stage, startled at the loud squeal that had broke into their argument. Mira was staring at them, a bright smile on her face. Lyon glanced around quickly, realizing that the demon wasn't the only attention they had drawn. He crossed his arms over his chest and turned away from the gazes. "I have a perfect story for this!"

"What?!" Gray said, swiftly getting to his feet. "You just read something about me! Dammitt, Mira, this better not have anything to do with-"

"What if it does?" Mira said, her voice suddenly dropping an octave as she stared down the younger ice make wizard. "What are you going to do?"

Gray froze and Lyon found himself silently telling the other to take his seat before the demon attacked. Surely Gray was intelligent enough to realize it wasn't worth it.

Well, this was Gray. He shouldn't think too highly of him.

Gray slowly sank back into his seat and Loke instantly moved closer to him while Juvia continued to glare and mutter about love-rivals and her precious Gray. Lyon bit back a snarl. When would the rain woman realize how much better things would be if she turned to him instead? He would make her happy. Happier than she would ever be with Gray.

_It was a cold day in the depth of winter, but for some the cold could barely be described as bothersome. The handsome and strong Gray Fullbuster, for example. _

"Handsome and strong?" Natsu cut in, laughing loudly and earning himself a punch in the gut from the mentioned boy. "Fight me!"

"Back of Natsu!"

_For him, this weather was hardly a nuisance. It was when the beautiful mage felt the strongest and could beat any enemy or rival in his way._

_But it was also when he felt the loneliest._

"Poor Gray," Lyon mocked.

_Oh, how he longed for a pair of arms to hold him, or a soft mouth to kiss him when he wasn't feeling strong. Not the cold of this weather, but the cold of his heart continued to bother the considerate and passionate individual. There weren't a lot of people in his life that could chase away the cold. Some were too afraid to come close to the brave and charming man, but he could always count on his beloved to save him._

Lyon felt himself gag. Did people really see Gray – the same Gray sitting across from him – like this? It was obvious whoever wrote this had built Gray up in their fantasies to the point that he was almost unrecognizable. Most likely a person who had seen him in the Magic Games and had never met the boy in real life.

If they had, this story would be written very differently.

_"Oh," He exhaled throatily, the eyelids to his sparkling deep-sea aquamarine blue eyes fluttering. Gray ached for the alluring body next to him, desperate to feel its warmth._

And he was gagging again. At least this time he wasn't the only one. "Ew!" Natsu yelled, moving as close to Lucy – and as far away from Gray – as he possibly could. Lyon noticed that the cat did the opposite, pressing himself closer into the ice mage and saying something Lyon couldn't hear.

He decided that was probably a good thing when he saw the way Gray jerked and his cheeks stained red.

He broke from his thoughts when he heard a loud gasp. His eyes flickered to the rain woman, only to sit up straight in surprise when he caught a glimpse of her face. Her cheeks were even darker than Gray's and her eyes were flickering from Gray, to the floor, then to…him?

_"Why don't you come a little closer… Ice boy," He heard, the whisper barely audible. The dazzling mage looked up to the person hovering above him. _

_"Gladly," He breathed, a smile breaking through his face as he moved closer to his companion._

"Stop!" Gray broke, his hands covering his ears. "This is ridiculous! Cant you pick on someone else?"

"Yeah, I don't want to know about snowflakes sex life!" Natsu agreed loudly.

"Please don't say those two words together," Romeo said, looking slightly nauseous.

"I don't mind," Loke cut in mischievously.

_Said companion, with glittering hair as white as the snow surrounding them-_

What.

_-and gleaming dark eyes that left many wondering at their secrets, took Gray in his arms and snuggled him tightly. _

What.

_"Gray… I've missed you," _

_"How much?" Gray asked breathlessly while he pressed his stunning face against the hard but soft chest of the man in front of him._

"Man?" Hibiki asked, looking slightly uncomfortable as he quickly glanced at Loke and Gray. "Well, it seems it isn't enterily wrong."

"What did you say, Pretty Boy?"

"Aw, thank you, but you aren't my type."

_"Words can't express it… I've thought about you every day since I left to finish a request, my beloved. I could never leave you…"_

_"Every day, huh? Naughty boy," the passionate male replied. "I've thought about you too… Lyon."_

Time seeped to freeze around him. He didn't hear that. He must have been imagining it. Not that he would even remotely imagine himself in that position, but there must have been a mistake. Maybe the demon read it wrong. There was no way-

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Gray exploded, once again jumping to his feet. This time, the cat didn't try to stop him. Actually, the cat seemed to be just as irritated as Gray. Lyon noticed with interest, still feeling somewhat detached from what was going on around him, that Loke's hands were now on the table and clenched tightly. He vaguely wondered if he had claws like his namesake and if they were currently digging into his palms…

"Aren't they brothers?" Sting asked, looking slightly confused.

"NO!"

"Ah, so you dated?" Rogue cut in.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

Lucy giggled uncontrollably from her spot beside Natsu, who just seemed to be looking back and forth between himself and Gray with his mouth hanging open. "Well, that was unexpected," Levi said, giggling with Lucy.

"It kind of makes sense," Lucy added.

"Lucy!"

"So many things make sense now," Shelly said brightly, making Lyon turn to her sharply, "the reason you lost on Galuna Island was because you wanted to give him your love."

"No, it really wasn't," Lyon finally spoke. He turned to Juvia and saw the girl was blushing even more brightly than she had been before. "Juvia, my love, I would never betray you like that."

_Lyon shivered. The joy of hearing his name come out of the other's lush lips would never cease. He pressed Gray even closer before he picked him up and cradled him in his arms. "Let's go to my apartment, my beloved ice prince?" The delicate male in his arms trembled in anticipation. _

"Seriously? Mira, stop reading!"

_"Lyon…"_

_His lustful lips neared Lyon's, and the older mage held his breath in expectation. He could feel the younger mage's cold breath on his lips as they neared his…_

"I swear to god, I'm going to freeze this entire room…"

Lyon agreed. If they worked together, he was sure they could act quickly enough to surprise everyone and make their escape.

_"Wait," Gray suddenly cried out as he pulled away dramatically. "I can't. I belong to the beautiful Juvia. She has the key to my heart. "_

Mira paused, obviously waiting for a response. Lyon himself blinked, trying to catch up. So…this story…Gray refused him…for Juvia?

"Gray-sama-"

"No."

"So, Gray's bi then?" Eve commented.

_Lyon was dumbfounded for a moment before the splendid man came back to his senses. "You're right, my beloved. We miss the fair maiden Juvia-chan in our company!"_

"WHAT?!"

"Mira, what the hell are you reading?" Laxus finally asked as a scowl overtook his features.

"Isn't it cute?" Mira asked, her smile wider than ever.

"No, it isn't!" Gray snarled.

_The striking blue hair, much longer than Lyon's, for Gray to tangle his fingers in, with gorgeous blue eyes, much bluer than Gray's, for Lyon to stare into. _

_There she was, standing in the distance! She became shy with the eyes of the handsome men on her._

"Of course she's there," Lucy muttered, "the girl follows Gray everywhere."

"What was that, love-rival?"

"Nothing!"

_"Juvia, my darling! How was I so blind?"_

_"Juvia-chan, marry me and we'll have 33 babies!"_

_"But Gray-sama and Lyon-san… You cannot both have me?"_

Gray moaned loudly, sinking back onto the bench and, for the first time, placing his head on Loke's shoulder. "Make it stop."

Lyon felt his eyebrows raise as the cat moved his hand to bury in Gray's hair, holding his face into his shoulder as he turned to glare at the woman beside him. What exactly was going on? Not that he would complain if Gray decided to date the cat – Juvia would be all his then!

"Both of them?" Natsu asked, confused. "How can she have both of them?"

Lucy blushed brightly, "Ask Erza later!"

"But-"

_"Oh, my Juvia, your heart is big enough for both of us!"_

"I have to disagree, I would not be able to share my precious Juvia with anyone, especially not Gray."

"You can have her," Gray muttered.

"Gray-sama!"

_Juvia blinked rapidly. Two beautiful men, a marriage and thirty-three babies? It was too much to resist! She blushed._

"Thirty-three babies? Where have I heard that before…" Lucy mused out loud. She blinked suddenly, pointing to Juvia. "You always say-"

"Love rival!"

"It does sound like one of Juvia's…daydreams," Levi said, continuing Lucy's train of thought.

Lyon turned to the rain woman in surprise. Juvia daydreamed about him? About having thirty-three babies?

_"If you think so… Gray-sama…"_

_Lyon and Gray showered her and each other with kisses._

_"Oh, Juvia and Gray… I've never been so happy in my entire life! Please love me forever, and marry me!"_

_"Yes, I do!" She swooned and Gray nodded viciously while he held her in his arms._

_"Bedtime… my darlings."_

"Wait, that sounds like something Juvia would-"

"Do you think she-"

"Could it really-"

"Yes!" Juvia said loudly, standing up and placing her hand on her chest, "Juvia wrote that wonderful piece! Juvia wanted the world to know about her love for Gray-sama and wanted him to know that she would do anything to make him happy! Even if it meant being with another person as well!"

"I would be with Gray if it meant I was also with you!" Lyon declared loudly, also getting to his feet.

"I don't want anything to do with either of you! Leave me out of it!"


End file.
